New Delhi (Monitoring Desk): International human rights organization Amnesty International has released new research into the alleged unlawful and dangerous use of force by police during protests led by Jamaat in India.
According to the organization, between July 20 and 24, police used pellet firing, tear gas, baton charges, hand grenades and electroshock devices against protesters in Delhi and Siwan city in the state of Bihar.
Amnesty International reviewed videos, photographs and eyewitness accounts recorded during the protests, while its research team verified 19 videos. According to the organization, personnel from the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force can be seen taking part in protest-related operations in the videos.
The organization said that the use of some police weapons was inconsistent with international law, human rights principles and India’s own police regulations. Questions were raised particularly over the use of pellet firing, tear gas, baton charges and electroshock devices.
According to Amnesty, in two videos recorded near Connaught Place and Sansad Marg in Delhi, a Rapid Action Force officer can be seen firing a gun toward the crowd.
The organization also verified two other videos showing injuries on the bodies of two protesters that allegedly appeared similar to wounds caused by metal pellets.
One injured protester told Amnesty that police first used tear gas, after which they allegedly began firing pellets without warning. According to the protester, around 25 to 30 wounds were sustained on the body and the person had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
According to Amnesty International, metal pellet ammunition is extremely dangerous for crowd control because its spread can injure multiple people without accurate targeting. The organization has called for a ban on the use of such weapons by law enforcement agencies.